C.J. Stroud and Caleb Williams took center stage in Houston in a matchup between two of the NFL's rising young quarterbacks.
Stroud showcased he belongs in the league after his massive success last season, and that exhibited as Williams was out of his depth in the Texans' 19-13 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football.
Apart from the second quarter when the Texans scored 13 points and the Bears seven, the game was slow paced and lacked offensive firepower with both defenses stepping up.
But Chicago eventually couldn't overcome Williams' mistakes on the night, resulting in Houston's triumph. Let's analyze the game further with winners and losers:
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WINNER: C.J. Stroud, Texans
Stroud has proven he can light up the stat sheet on any given night, but the Bears defense made things much tougher. It was a game that would be decided by who controlled the moments and that was eventually Stroud, who delivered the necessary plays compared to Chicago.
The second-year QB threw for 260 yards and a touchdown on 23 of 36 completions. He was sacked three times but threw no picks, while making some absurd dimes on the run. Stroud didn't get much help from the run game, either, as Cam Akers fumbled near the goal line and Joe Mixon mustered just 25 yards on nine carries while dealing with an injury.
NFL
LOSER: Caleb Williams, Bears
Williams threw over 100 passing yards after failing to do so in Week 1, but the No. 1 overall pick has plenty of work to do to improve his general awareness of the NFL game. The lack of a proper offensive line is definitely an issue, but Chicago improved its weapons from seasons past and have not shown much for it despite Keenan Allen's absence.
Williams threw for 174 yards, no touchdowns and two picks on 23 of 37 completions. He also rushed for 44 yards on five tries, with a 24-yarder late in the game leading the way. He also took seven sacks, but some of those could've been avoided with better pocket play.
Chicago's defense has exhibited it can keep the team within striking distance to pull off wins, but the offense will also have to do its part more often.
WINNER: Henry To'oTo'o, Texans
Choosing just one player from the Texans defense is quite an arduous task given the collective performance they put on. Six players got on the end of a sack, while two hauled in a pick, among other key statistics.
But second-year linebacker To'oTo'o receives the solo nod after a stellar outing at the heart of DeMeco Ryans' defense. To'oTo'o logged 13 total tackles (nine solo) to go with a sack, tackle for loss and QB hit. The 2023 fifth-rounder out of Alabama is on a breakout-campaign trajectory if these types of performances persist.
LOSER: Bears' offensive line
Houston may have an elite defense, but the Bears did little to try to mitigate its own offensive line woes. Williams had to be on the move more often than he would've preferred, and he also should've ran more than he did with the seven sacks standing out.
But the lack of a proper running game also proved difficult to overcome, as D'Andre Swift mustered just 18 rushing yards on 11 carries. His longest run of the day went for seven. That cannot linger if Williams is to gradually build on his start to the year.
WINNER: Texans' defensive line
As aforementioned, six Texans combined for a seven-sack outing on Williams. Along with To'oTo'o, Azeez Al-Shaair, Mario Edwards Jr., Derek Barnett, Danielle Hunter and Will Anderson Jr. each logged at least one. Hunter and Anderson Jr. recorded 1.5 each.
The Texans deploy a wealth of defensive talent all over the field, and Ryans' system is paying dividends in Year 2. It's not yet known how far Houston will go this year, but there's a vigorous chance it can advance further than the previous postseason thanks to its defensive depth and another year of Stroud with offensive coordinator Bobby Slowik.
